Amazon Rainforest The Lungs of the World. Rainforest Introduction Persuasive essay and rubric What is a rainforest? Where is the Amazon rainforest? What.

Amazon RainforestAmazon Rainforest

The Lungs of the WorldThe Lungs of the World

Rainforest

• Introduction• Persuasive essay and rubric• What is a rainforest?• Where is the Amazon rainforest?• What are the layers of the rainforest?• What unusual animals live in the rainforest?• What unusual plants grow in the rainforest?• What indigenous people live in the rainforest?• How does destruction of the rainforest affect mankind?• Sounds of the Rainforest• Rainforest Wrap-up• Work cited page

Introduction

"Rainforests cover less than two percent of the Earth's surface, yet they are home to some 50 to 70 percent of all life forms on our planet. The rain forests are quite simply, the richest, oldest, most productive and most complex ecosystems on Earth"

Rainforest PromptMission: You were hired by Save Our Planet to be the spokesperson for the protection of the tropical rainforest. You must persuade global companies and organizations that destruction of the rainforests has a negative impact on the world.

Method: You must convince global companies of the dangers of destruction of the rainforest by writing a persuasive letter to a company or politician. To prepare for the prompt, you must gather facts from “Lungs of the World” concerning animals, plants, indigenous people, environmental concerns and /or facts that show the rainforest is a unique biome that must be saved. As you read, you are to take notes. These notes will be used to form the paragraphs of your prompt.

Mandatory format: Your prompt must have an introductory paragraph, three or more supportive paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.

COMPONENT 6 5 4 3 2 1

Focus Takes a clear position and supports it consistently with well-chosen reasons and/or examples; may use persuasive strategy to convey an argument.

Takes a clear position and supports it with relevant reasons and/or examples through much of the essay.

Takes a clear position and supports it with some relevant reasons and/or examples; there is some development of the essay.

Takes a position and provides uneven support; may lack development in parts or be repetitive OR essay is no more than a well-written beginning.

Takes a position, but essay is underdeveloped.

Attempts to take a position (addresses topic), but position is very unclear OR takes a position, but provides minimal or no support; may only paraphrase the prompt.

Organization Is focused and well organized, with effective use of transitions.

Is well organized, but may lack some transitions.

Is generally organized, but has few or no transitions among sections.

Is organized in parts of the essay; other parts are disjointed and/or lack transitions.

Is disorganized or unfocused in much of the essay OR is clear, but too brief.

Exhibits little or no apparent organization.

Sentence Fluency and Word Choice

Consistently exhibits variety in sentence structure and word choice.

Exhibits some variety in sentence structure and uses good word choice; occasionally, words may be used inaccurately.

Most sentences are well constructed but have similar structure; word choice lacks variety or flair.

Sentence structure may be simple and unvaried; word choice is mostly accurate.

Sentences lack formal structure; word choice may often be inaccurate.

Sentences run-on and appear incomplete or rambling; word choice may be inaccurate in much or the entire essay.

Conventions Errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation are few and do not interfere with understanding.

Errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation do not interfere with understanding.

More frequent errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation, but they do not interfere with understanding.

Errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation sometimes interfere with understanding.

Errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation interfere with understanding in much of the essay.

Errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation prevent reader from fully understanding

Persuasive Writing Scoring Guide

What is a Rainforest?

• What is a rainforest?

Where is the Amazon rainforest?

• World rainforests map

• Amazon rainforest map

What are the layers of the rainforest?

Click on the question

and follow the links.

What unusual animals live in the rainforest?

• Q & A About the Rainforest Animals• Rainforest Animals• Life on Land• The Big Top• Amazon Rainforest Animals• Wilderness Classroom• Animals, Animals, Animals• Virtual Rainforest

What unusual plants grow in the rainforest?

• Journey to Amazon Plants

• Amazon Plants

• Rainforest Plants

What indigenous people live in the rainforest?

• People of the Rainforest

• Pygmies, Huli, Yanomami

How does destruction of the rainforest affect mankind?

• How Rainforest Destruction Affects You

• Rainforest Destruction

• Save the Rainforest

• Products of the Rainforest

Sounds of the Rainforest

Nature’s Music

Rainforest Wrap-up• Rainforest Facts

• Interesting Facts About Rainforests

• Preserving the Rainforest

• The Disappearing Rainforests

Work Cited

• http://www.earthrenewal.org/Rainforest%20Unit.htm

• http://ieeni.org/Rainforest-Children2C.jpg

• www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson405/PersuasiveWritingScoringGuide.pdf